John Wooden was arguably the best coach in the history of college basketball. His contributions to success literature, though, possibly exceed his accomplishments on the court. He developed the Pyramid of Success, a wonderful tool to succeed bigg in any endeavor you choose.

So far, we’ve looked at his two cornerstones — Industriousness and Enthusiasm. This week, we’ll look at one of the three blocks that form the foundation between these two cornerstones.

FriendshipYou must build on a solid foundation if you want a building to last. The same can be said for success in life – if you want long-term success, you have to build on the basics.

Friendship is one of the key blocks upon which to build success. It all comes down to people. What you know matters. Who you know matters just as much. However, how the people you know think of you matters more than anything.

People like to help people they like. If you like people, people will like you. We’re not talking about a superficial, “what’s in it for me” attitude. We mean a genuine care and concern for others.

If you take care of others, they’ll take care of you. When you give of yourself, when you provide genuine help to people, you’ll get far more in return than you can ever give.